1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to attraction by scent and, more particularly, to a device for dispensing scent in an outdoor area to attract a particular animal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been known for some time that animal scents, such as the urine of a female deer or "doe," can be used in hunting to either mask human odor or to attract the animal. Various methods and devices for dispensing animal scent into the surrounding area have been disclosed. Mechanical propelling means are utilized in the Salter Scent Propeller, advertised in Outdoor Life, December 1992, at page 20. U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,411 to Uhlman further discloses a fluid dispensing container with a nozzle to dispense game attracting fluid to a surrounding area.
It is also known that when the weather is cold, scents do not carry well. Therefore, various attempts have been made to keep the scent source warm. This serves two purposes: first, it prevents the scent source from freezing, and second, the warm source volatilizes more rapidly and carries further into the atmosphere. Several references teach the use of a heating element powered by an electrochemical cell. Typically, these references incorporate or allow for some form of wick, such as a felt pad or cotton balls, to draw the scent source from a holding container to the heat where it can be vaporized and dispersed into the atmosphere. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,431 to Jameson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,503 to Easley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,025 to Daniels, and Tink's Scent Dispenser advertised in the Bass Pro Shops.RTM.1992 Hunting Catalog at page 101.
Although electrical heating does prevent the scent source from freezing in cold weather, several batteries must often be used to heat the scent source sufficiently to allow for effective dispersal to the surrounding area. The batteries must then be recharged or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Additionally, since all of the scent source drawn to the wick will not be volatilized and much of it cannot be recovered for use at a later time, the wick is often wasteful of scent source.
A catalytic type burner, such as utilized by a conventional hand warmer, has also been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,650 to Bilyeu. The device in Bilyeu employs a porous material containing a lure composition. Heat from the burner permeates through a burner cover and into the porous material causing the lure composition to be heated and driven off into the atmosphere. However, the operator must rely on air convection to carry the scent. Thus, the device is not practical for long range scent dispensing, as is necessary for the device to effectively attract game.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a scent dispensing device which effectively heats and dispenses scent source over a sufficiently large area for hunting, without wasting the scent source.